Doroteinu Shabbat "Our Generations and Social Change"

by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein

Bezalel sat in his tent gazing at the latest design and technology tablets he had bought from Midianite traders who did business with Moses' family, thanks to the good relations established by Jethro. Bezalel was so engrossed in a revolutionary cupboard system design that he barely noticed his father, Uri, a rather slight and quiet man come in to him. "My son, Moses is calling for you." Bezalel looked up in surprise and struggled to come to terms with his father's words. "Why me? The last time Moses wanted to see me it was to admonish me for my new cloak being too garish. Then there was the time he had a go at me for not standing behind grandpa Hur when he confronted the people who wanted to build that stupid calf. Sure I tried to say something but that mob was so worked-up, would Moses have wanted me dead as well as grandpa. What is it with him these days?"

Saying this he still got up and left the tent, slightly apprehensive about another dressing-down from Moses. There from afar he could see Moses sitting on a rock peering up the mountain that only too recently had been consumed by fire, lightening, the deafening roar of a thousand winds, and the fear of God. Even he had not been sure that Moses would return. He was therefore rather taken aback to find Moses turn to watch him approach, grinning ear-to-ear. "Good to see you looking decidedly dashing today," Moses chuckled. "I remember that cloak being rather the rage a few years back when I was a kid in Egypt. How times come around. Now, Bezalel, my boy, why were you not at our discussions yesterday?" "Why are you always picking on me," Bezalel exclaimed losing his cool, "All those fuddy-duddies who never let me get a word in edgeways and think they know more about the law than I do, just because I am younger than them. The least they could do is listen." "Patience now, Bezalel. They will listen soon. I have a job for you. Now, when I was on the mountain, God told me that you should be the one to build the Tabernacle, Ark and vessels we were talking about yesterday…yup, I told you they would listen to you at sometime."

Moses broke into laughter at the sight of Bezalel's face but he soon spoke seriously again, "Make an Ark, vessels and the Tabernacle as only you can." Bezalel considered the request and countered, "Moses, my teacher, as a rule a person first builds a house and then brings their vessels into it; but you say, 'Make me an Ark, vessels and the Tabernacle' The vessels I make-where shall I put them? Perhaps the Holy One said to you, 'Make the Tabernacle, Ark, and vessels?'" Moses nodded slowly, noting his mistake for reversing the order of God's command. "One day I am being corrected by my father-in-law, Jethro, another by you my junior. You are truly wise and I blessed by such people around me both young and old. Bezalel, You may well have been in the shadow of God (in Hebrew: betzel el!), and so you know!!"

A perfect example of how generations can work together! Moses the greatest leader of our people, humbly listening to the advise of those older and younger than himself. Jethro, to my mind the first management consultant in history, provided the voice of experience. Having been a priest in what was a more developmentally advanced cultic system, he reflects on the lessons learnt and passes it on to a new generation of a people with a long history but in the process of change. Moses listens and learns not from an Israelite but someone slightly removed from the day-to-day grind and issues of his leadership.

Bezalel, I have imagined, as a young whipper-snapper in tune with the latest fashions and leading-edge technologies. He provides the sharp thinking backed-up with real practical skills that a midrash found the Talmud thinks Moses obviously lacked. Bezalel, our Torah portion tells, had the divine knowledge and skills of the ultimate Craftsman. What Moses did not lack though, was what one might call 'the divine inspiration' to accept advise. Is it a surprise therefore, of what we hear next: God's command that the Sabbath be "throughout the ages as a covenant for all times." Was the Sabbath even in those days a time for generations to come together, to be as one, as our Shabbats have up until…well hasn't life changed over the past few decades!

I know that Friday nights are still observed as often as possible in many of our families but the possibility does not seem to work out as easily as it used to. Families do not live so close together, certainly not as a tribe. Holidays are more easily obtainable. More of the family are working and studying: from first job through career change and post-family career to post-retirement work, and from the pressures of schoolwork through MBA's and reskilling, to the University of the Third Age. An advanced technological world does not necessarily help facilitate a simple life.

Even if we are located next to each other, is it possible to diarise for all these individual lifestyles. And individual lifestyles they truly are. Browsing through our magazine rack at home we've got Wallpaper, The World of Interiors, Elle Decoration, OK, Vogue, Zest, Acoustic Guitar World. Just a few of the regular magazines to appear in our house. The possibilities they offer are truly amazing. They all focus on how we as individuals want ourselves to be perceived. Our own image. This is by no means a preserve of the young anymore. It is available to all. We have so many opportunities. In the end we never have time to fulfil all our dreams and my concern for the incredible range of possibilities that we have is: How does it all hang together? Do we eventually derive any meaning from it all? Or does our increasing isolation into the individual secular potential of our lives leave us in the end lonely, without real family time, without ever really belonging to any community, and in the end, wondering why on earth Creation did not allow for more than 24 hours in a day?

What of our religious life? Well, we gathered here today may be the ones who derive meaning and satisfaction from our Liberal Judaism. We may be able to read our prayers in Hebrew. We may be able to relate to the characters, rituals, and laws we read of in Torah. We may be able to relate to God through the experience of our synagogue. We may be the ones to have the skills to be religious Liberal Jews - but we are in the minority. The majority of Jews across the denominations have been religiously deskilled. They cannot relate to Judaism and do not perceive themselves as having appropriate tools at their disposal to access it.

Why has society changed so much? Whose fault is it? Where have we gone wrong? Why do others not see the beauty that we see? Why can only the few find balance in their lives? And the ultimate question of our time: Who is to blame?

I think that these are the wrong questions to be asking and in the end will only send us round in circles. In the centenary of Liberal Judaism in this country we can celebrate the incredible vision of our founders and the achievements of an 100 years. Indeed, let us do so with joy and let us do so by sitting down and thinking and re-evaluating future direction, not trying to apportion blame for the past. If this year is to be a success, we must seize it as an opportunity to create a clear vision of how we are going to keep on progressing as our founders would have wanted us to do. To maintain our emphasis on the moral teachings of our law alongside our desire to progress with the society around us.

If I were to wish for just one thing from the ULPS and all the congregations this year, it would be that we use this year to listen to, to learn from, and to value each and every member and potential member as the individuals that they are. It is a very simple vision, to listen to every one of our members, not just us sat here today but every member in every shul in our movement. At this significant moment in our movement's life, let us hear the experiences of all our generations. The reasons for social change are numerous and I am sure we will discuss some of them in our sessions after this service. But let us not be remote from our membership by just focussing on what we think are general trends. Let us actually use this year to get in touch with what is really happening in people's lives. We must do so in a coordinated fashion that sees us share information, ideas, and resources.

We need to be like Moses, to listen and learn from every generation. We need to value the secular skills and abilities of our Bezalels and to provide the tools for them to create the Jewish system they need to hang all of their different interests on. Indeed, our Bezalels may provide the secular skills we need to function more affectively as congregations.

We need to listen and learn from our Jethros outside of our synagogue walls, from other congregations, from the resources that are increasingly available from the ULPS and CJE, and from the experience of those outside of Liberal Judaism. There are already great ideas and examples of best practise in so many congregations but when was the last time we got together and shared them. This year is an incredible opportunity for us to do just that at our May Biennial Conference and through the new initiatives being offered to congregations by the ULPS. But we must not stop at the end of this year. In an age remote or virtual everything is the seen as the way to be, let us buck the trend. We are as Liberal Jews are dealing with people, individuals, who ultimately need us to provide a close, intimate, spiritual community.

Rebbe Nachman of Brezlov once said: Steer clear of sophistication and cleverness; they add nothing to coming closer to God. All you need is simplicity, sincerity, and faith. In December I heard Danny Siegel the wonderful poet - and now I have found out - social action guru give me a tip when I was splurging out ideas left right and centre in my enthusiasm. He said, "KISS: Keep it simple Shimon." Let us not get down about our task. If we are to truly bring meaning and happiness to our lives and the lives of our friends and families who we watch drifting in confusion through the complexities of life today, we need to be simple. Listen to people, think about how you can harness their skills. Dare to dream and put aside the day-to-day concerns, questions and doubts, and say "we can do! We can do it our way because it is meaningful. We can do!"

As Bezalel left him at the foot of the mountain, Moses gazed up and a shiver went down his spine. Did he really have to go back up there again? He looked at the lines of people that were still beginning to queue up for his attention. Jethro's new system still had teething problems. Do I really have to see them again? He looked down and saw Bezalel's strong workman's shoulders and confident posture and he smiled. 'Yes, I can do it. I can do it for God, for my ancestors, for me, and for my descendents. I can do it.'

And so can we. Keyn y'hi l'ratzon. May it be God's will. Amen..

Rabbi Goldstein is the Outreach Director of Liberal Judaism

This sermon was given on Shabbat Ki Tissa Saturday 2nd March 2002 at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, St John's Wood, London